Mabasa told to toughen up after Bafana coach threw him under the bus

Orlando Pirates legend Jerry Sikhosana has a message for Tshegofatso Mabasa: don’t let your recent omission from the Bafana Bafana squad dampen your spirits.

Despite being the DStv Premiership’s top scorer with 15 goals, Mabasa was surprisingly overlooked for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

Sikhosana, drawing from his own experiences, emphasized that Mabasa’s journey is far from over.

“Mabasa played for Pirates before. He was loaned (to Sekhukhune and Swallows) and then he came back to Pirates and he is lucky to get that chance,” Sikhosana reflected, acknowledging Mabasa’s perseverance.

He praised Mabasa’s resurgence after returning from loan spells, highlighting his significant contributions to the Buccaneers’ current success. 

“He is doing well now and I’m just grateful for him because he is there and taking the team to another level,” said Sikhosana, commending his change in attitude and work ethic.

Sikhosana, who experienced a similar situation during his playing days, urged Mabasa to remain patient and focused. 

He recounted, “For me, when I got into the national team, I never played the first game… And I was scoring a lot of goals for Pirates, but I was not thrown into the deep end…” 

His message is clear: national team opportunities come with time and consistent performance.

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